Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I know he will acknowledge that our offering or attractiveness to foreign direct investment has always been about more than our low and stable corporation profit tax rate. It is about our talent pool, the availability of qualified staff, our track record in terms of political and economic stability, our infrastructure and our position in the eurozone. We have always been able to offer an attractive package of reasons, if one likes, to invest in Ireland. Our low and stable corporation profit tax rate is only one aspect of that. Certainly in my engagement with large companies in the US a few weeks ago, they were happy that there is now an international agreement on corporation profit tax. The main issue for them is that it should be low, but also stable rather than going up and down with economic cycles or changes of Government. They are reassured by it. The big test now is whether it will get done. It has to get through the European Union and the US Congress and that is less certain at the moment than it was previously. I remain confident it can happen, however.

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